Front:
1343
PENNSYLVANIA
Back:
RJ64
KVB12749
PENNSYLVANIA 1343
Enola, Pennsylvania in 1954, a very interesting place to be. The mix of electric
locomotives including the entire fleet of GGI's, first generation diesels and the last
of the workhorse steam giants of the P Co. mingled together to forward merchan-
dise from coal to perishables over the road. Among the last of the steam loco-
motives to pull their weight were the L Class Mikados. These Mikes were often seen
lugging the tonnage up over the famed Horseshoe Curve west of Altoona. It
appears that No. 1343 has just arrived Enola as coal is not heaped in the tender and
it is uncoupled from the train. 579 Mikes were built, 574 all of one class, Lls. Also
in common with these Mikes was the K4s, the famous Pacific Class that shared
the same boiler. Both classes were designed at the same time resulting in the
sharing of 999 boilers and other parts. This commonality of parts among different
classes of steam locomotives is one of the reasons why the Pennsylvania Railroad
earned the title “Standard Railroad of the World".
Photo by Richard R. Wallin
Rey Rickman
20 June 1786
Published by Audio-Visual Designs, P.O. Box 24, Earlton, N.Y. 12058
